Language

Music

The music collection comprises some 10,500 pieces printed before 1920 and some later items. While there are some notable early items, such as Gaffurius, Practica Musicae, Milan 1496 and J. Dowland, The First Booke of Songes, London, 1603, the strengths lie in the 18th- and 19th-century items. Among these are:

19 Handel operas in early London editions in full score

Reduced scores of mid and late 18th-century comic operas

Songs and keyboard pieces

The 19th-century items include:

The first standard editions of the works of Bach, Handel, Mozart and Mendelssohn

A large number of opera scores, including nineteen of Auber’s operas in full score.

Some 600 editions of waltzes by the Strauss family and J. Lanner from the Wittgenstein collection

Several hundred late 19th-century songs, including many music hall ones, provide a balance to more serious music.